Friday, December 6, 2013

Written by Kyle Slagley

Today, free men and women from all nations are forced to say
goodbye to one of the most influential men in history. Nelson Mandela passed
away peacefully yesterday at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa,
amid his family and friends at the age of 95.

After spending his younger years as a political activist,
Mandela was eventually arrested and would spend nearly 30 years in prison for
his activities. Just four years after being released from prison, Mandela was
elected President of South Africa and served one five-year term from 1994-1999
before voluntarily retiring.

As one of the most influential men of the 20th century,
Mandela has fittingly been portrayed by some of Hollywood’s best actors over
the years; among them are Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, David Harewood,
Dennis Haysbert, Terrence Howard, Clarke Peters, and Idris Elba. Mandela also
gave the world a chance to know him through his writing; the most popular in
recent years would be Long Walk to
Freedom, thanks largely to the film version starring Elba.

Thanks to his tireless courage and commitment to ideals like
freedom, education, and peace, many nations across the world feel as though
they are saying goodbye to one of their own. Celebrities and heads of state
across the world are sharing Mandela’s words today, and many national flags are
flying at half-mast.

Because it is incredibly difficult to find words that truly
do justice to a man as great as Mandela, I will instead leave you with the
words that he himself used to find courage during his many years in prison.